Different Strokes: the Men of the Manila Dragons

March 27, 2017

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Photos by JL Javier

The first sight of a dragonboat might bring to mind notions of masculinity that are as ancient as the mythical creature it’s inspired by. While dragonboat as a sport traces its roots back to China 2,000 years ago, it has most certainly kept up with the times. In the Philippines, a team like the Manila Dragons, one of the first in the country, is powered by diversity. Among its teammates: a Men’s Crew captain who champions inclusivity, two 15-year-old recruits, and five breast cancer survivors. To the team, victory comes not just from brute strength but from paddling toward the same destination in unison.

At 5:30 on a clear summer morning, the Manila Dragons drifted from CCP Docksite and took TEAM out for a grueling training day. Seeing a multitude of gay teammates and allies paddle tirelessly and triumphantly across the water, we realized that discrimination is definitely deadweight on a dragonboat.

“I joined Manila Dragons almost eight years ago through a friend who’s also a member of the team. Because of passion, dedication, and love for the sport, I was elected Team Captain of the Men’s Crew last June. It’s also where I can freely express myself without being judged or discriminated upon. Our team values respect for people regardless of age, race, or gender, while being competitive at the same time. As the team captain, I need to ensure that fair treatment is given to all and everyone’s given a chance to excel and be competitive in their own way. Sa mga nagtatanong kung may ‘forever’ ka bang mahahanap sa dragonboat, ang masasabi ko lang, wala! Pero malay mo, sa pagsagwan mo, makita yung matagal mo nang hinahanap.”

“I’ve always been athletic and I’ve always loved sports since I was Grade 3 in Mindoro. When I came to Manila in 2010, a friend of mine invited me to join dragonboat. Clueless pa ako nun kung ano yung dragonboat. I joined the team and started training since February of that year, tapos tuluy-tuloy na up to now. Manila Dragons is more than my team. It’s my family away from home. You know what? Hindi pa ako officially nag-out sa family ko but I’m sure they know by now. Mas nauna pa akonag-out to my Manila Dragons family!”

“At first, I was intimidated to join not because I was gay but because ang payat ko. So I psyched myself not to be intimidated because if you’re new to the activity, you’ll be trained naman, so you’ll learn it. Some of my teammates in Manila Dragons are very tough and muscular. I see them as inspiration (Laughs). If I’m with them, I feel as strong as them. My body and my mindset adjusted as I loved the sport more and more. Yung pagiging mahinhin ko lang hindi pa masyado nagbago! (Laughs)

“Matagal ko nang gustong mag-dragonboat but there was no opportunity. Last year, I worked with someone who paddles with Manila Dragons and pinilit ko siyang isama ako. I really enjoyed the first few weeks of training. I love how the training with Manila Dragons made me stronger, physically and mentally. It helped me get rid of all my excess and negative baggage. Dragonboat also made me more humble. Yung kapag pinagsasabihan ka ng coach and ng team captains, you know it’s for your own good and for the good of the team.

You would sometimes hear from other teams na ‘Sa Manila Dragons maypusong mamon.’ I wanna prove them wrong. Oo, I’m gay, but I can be as strong and as competitive as any man on any team. Ang sports, hindinaman nakukuha sa sexual orientation ng isang tao. It’s how you work hard to gain what you wanna achieve. Thankfully, Manila Dragons has very open-minded members.”

“I’m a relative newbie in the team having joined last year lang. Dragonboat taught me how to adjust to different types of personalities. We have diverse members sa team—men, women, young, old, straight, and gay. So doon talaga ako nag-adjust. At first the commitment part was quite hard. I have to wake up really early, tapos prepare and organize all my stuff. I also learned how to manage my time kasi if I’m late, I’ll have to do burpees or push-ups. Nowadays, I’m in the race boat. I have to always prove to the team that I deserve that spot there. But you know what? It’s all worth it. I saw the improvement in my body. I gained a lot of new friends and I get exposed to other sports through them.

“My college friend recruited me in Manila Dragons and sabi nga niya medyo mahirap daw. So I got challenged if I can do such an intense workout. At first, mahirap. After training, I sleep the whole day – ibang klaseng pagod siya from gym and basketball. But once nasanay ka na, madali na lang siya. Nowadays, I’m more goofy na sa training so mas nailabas ko na yung character ko.

Luckily, Manila Dragons is really like a family. Sobrang madali makisama sa members. Sobrang welcoming. Straight, gay or lesbian mayroon sa team so parang kumpleto rekado siya! You can be who you are in Manila Dragons. And we focus on winning. Malalakas nga mga teammates naming gays eh. I think it’s our advantage to have gay members because they are more vocal. So malaking bagay yun sa team sport where communication is key.”

“When I was in my 20s, I used to go to the gym. Then I became a dad and ballooned to 185 pounds. I joined Manila Dragons around three years ago after I injured my foot from running. My doctor said to look for an alternate physical exercise, and with dragon boat wala namang masyadong adjustment kasi sanay na ako gumising ng maaga with running. Mahirap lang if you have competition out of town kasi I have a family.”

“We always take care of all our members, especially the newbies. As an older member, the first thing my teammates and I would do is make them feel comfortable and immediately treat them like family. Speaking of family, I have four kids; all are eight years and below. Dragonboat helps me to be physically and mentally strong so I can play and have witty conversations with them.”

SHOP

About Team

TEAM tackles how gay Filipino men relate their identity, from fuckups to fantasies, to where to go for music you can actually dance to. We may not have proper rights in our country but we’re claiming some authority by getting our words and ideas on page. And though we lack public places to convene, an open publication (and wide-open digital space) is a good place to start.